ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Miami Dolphins had wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and outside linebacker Chop Robinson both available for Thursday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills.

The Dolphins’ inactive list 90 minutes prior to kickoff at Highmark Stadium revealed neither to be ruled out after the two entered questionable with their respective injuries.

Waddle’s status was expected after NFL Network reported, earlier Thursday, he was expected to play through his shoulder injury in the AFC East rivalry game.

Waddle made it through the loss Sunday against the New England Patriots with the ailing shoulder, but after being removed from the team’s injury report, he resurfaced following Tuesday’s practice as a limited participant due to the ailing shoulder. It was a possible sign the injury was aggravated in the short week before the pivotal Thursday matchup with Miami entering 0-2.

Robinson had a banged-up knee after Patriots right tackle lowered his helmet into the knee.

Dolphins defensive tackle Benito Jones, who also entered questionable, was available to play through his oblique injury that cost him the Patriots game.

Miami already ruled cornerback Storm Duck (ankle), safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (calf) and tight end Darren Waller (calf) out on Wednesday.

Joining them as healthy inactives announced Thursday night were cornerback JuJu Brents, wide receiver Tahj Washington, defensive tackle Zeek Biggers and quarterback Quinn Ewers, who is available as an emergency third quarterback.

Marshall hurt

Dolphins rookie nickel cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. went down during the first half with a hamstring injury.

He was down near a sideline at the end of a play, and as he received attention from trainers, punched the ground.

Marshall got up, walked gingerly to the injury tent and eventually the locker room.

After initially being deemed questionable to return, Marshall was ruled out at halftime.

On the following play, starting boundary cornerback Jack Jones hurt his shoulder on a collision with Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid, but Jones returned to the game.

Ethan Bonner entered briefly for Miami’s depleted secondary, and Cornell Armstrong was also seen in on a defensive play.

Practice squad elevations

The Dolphins elevated kicker Riley Patterson and safety Jordan Colbert from the practice squad to the game-day roster ahead of kickoff at Highmark Stadium.

Patterson has been elevated for all of the season’s first three games after the Dolphins signed him to the practice squad in the wake of starting kicker Jason Sanders’ preseason hip injury.

Patterson has made his two field goals and two extra-point chances in filling in for Sanders. He has also handled kickoffs.

“Really excited how Riley has done for us, stepping in some big shoes of what Jason has done,” Dolphins special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman said Tuesday. “I think Riley has done a really good job.”

Thursday night marked the third and final elevation the team can use on him. Meanwhile, Sanders must miss at least one more game to fulfill the minimum of four on injured reserve.

If the Dolphins want to keep bringing Patterson up to fill in for Sanders, they must sign him to the active roster. Otherwise, Miami can find another free agent kicker to sign to the practice squad with three elevations then available to the newcomer.

“I think we’ll end up talking to (general manager) Chris (Grier) and (coach) Mike (McDaniel) after this game and see what they want to do as far as his elevation, if we sign him,” Aukerman said. “That’ll be all in the dialogue with Chris and Mike later on after the game.”

Before the season, Grier noted the team would start off by using Patterson for the three elevations and then take it from there.

“We’ll flex him up for three games and then we’ll see how it goes to evaluate him before that,” Grier said Aug. 27.

Colbert is set to make his NFL debut if he sees playing time.

The previous two weeks, the Dolphins had elevated running back Jeff Wilson Jr. with Patterson, but with second-year tailback Jaylen Wright returning from a knee injury Thursday, Miami already enters action with three at the position.

This story will be updated.

Originally Published: September 18, 2025 at 4:24 PM EDT